Merril Hoge is an Attention Whore

Merril Hoge slithered out from under his rock at the foot of Douche Mountain yesterday to feed on the crumbs of attention anyone would throw his way. He offered up some “analysis” of Johnny Manziel’s first professional start and had some tips for Jimmy Haslam:

“As I’ve said before, it’s going to be a quick exit and it’s unfortunate, because whoever drafted him in Cleveland, they need to be fired.”

Ouch! Are you back from turning off your smoke alarm after that scorching hot take appeared on your screen? Did your keyboard go up in flames? Did your face just melt Indiana Jones-style?

That’s brutal. Just brutal. And he seems pretty darn confident after watching a 22 year old play against a division leader for his first career professional start.

Look, I’m not here to tell you that Jonny Manziel is going to be the next big thing in the NFL. On the flip side, I don’t think one could make an assessment such as Hoge’s after one game especially when Cleveland couldn’t stop the run, couldn’t block the Cincinnati defensive line (see note 6), and decided to construct a game plan in which 11 guys had to learn something new rather than one. To site one performance, especially a debut, as proof for or against any player's long-term outlook is ludicrous. The league would be without a significant amount of its stars had the guys in charge of their respective teams took such a Hoge-ian approach to roster management.

It’s also worth noting that Hoge believed the Colts should have drafted RG3 over Andrew Luck. Good thing for Colts' fans that Hoge isn't Indy's GM.

Merril Hoge’s words are hollow. They're shock commentary. He’s a sad, sorry man wanting us to notice him. The thing that’s aggravating about this is that while Hoge isn’t the only person out there blasting the Browns and Manziel for yesterday’s thorough stomping, most of the others overreacting and summoning sensationalism are fans on Twitter, on Facebook, and in comment sections of various websites (and now crazy uncle Bernie...I still love you though, Bernie). Hoge is an ESPN analyst; an employee of such an organization should take a minute to gather his thoughts, filter his words, and present an intelligent argument for one side or-